A reason to fight
by Marea67
Summary: Justin, when in the military, gets unexpectedly into a fight.


**A reason to fight.**

**By Marea67**

**About**: Justin

**Rate:** G.

**Disclaimer**: Brothers & Sisters are not mine

**Summary**: Justin gets unexpectedly into a fight.

**Extra**: I stole the military titles from "Over There". Good God, Luke Macfarlane was good in that series!

"Justin Walker, of all the men working here, you were the last one I expected to start a fight. Fight _back_, yes. _Starting_ a fight, no." Sergeant Bishop says, looking at Justin, who stands before him, sporting a black eye and a split lip, but his eyes are focused on the wall behind Bishop, his chin is up and his face cannot be more stoic.

"Can you at least tell me what the fight was about?" He looks from Justin to the victim of Justin's fight, Private Werber. They both remain silent.

"I understand that one of the others was teased." The sergeant tries. Damn, he doesn't want this. He needs his men on the field, not punished for fighting.

For a moment it seems as if Justin is about to say something, but then he holds his breath and stares at the wall again.

"Come on! You're not a couple of school-children! I demand to know what happened."

"Nothing, Sir!" Werber replies.

But Bishop catches the foul look that Justin gives Werber and that suggests differently. Bishop looks at the report before him.

"There was some silly laughing about something, a bit of pushing, shoving, and suddenly Justin turned into Rambo?" He summarizes, a look of disbelief at the two men.

Justin looks miserable, biting his lip, clearly furious, but not willing to give in. Bishop sighs. He waves them away.

"Get out. I will think of what to do with you two. Just _get_ _out_." As he sees the two your men leave, he stacks his papers again and sighs again.

*****

It takes a few persons to break up the fight that broke out almost 3 hours later. This time the damage is more severe. There's no doubt about it. Something is going on amongst his men and Bishop wants to find out what it is. NOW! He looks at the 6 men in the hospital-room, all being take care off for the results of the fight.

It is Justin Walker again. Strange. He knows his boys. Justin is not a fighter, but when Bishop sees the anger on the young man's face, he is aware that there's something brewing. He looks at Werber. He knows it's personal, but he doesn't like Werber. He'd rather have one Walker then 10 Werbers.

Three of the other men are only slightly damaged. A few bruises. Then he turns to the sixth. Charles Howard. The youngest in the group. Good sniper, but terribly, terribly shy. That boy looks like he got hurt the most…

Bishop watches the men. Justin's anger for Werber, the cruel smile Werber gives Howard. Howard trying to make himself even smaller… The other three men are just half-drunken followers. He remembers the name of Howard also being in the report of this afternoon. Howard was there when the earlier fight broke out…

Bishop knows that Howard is the weakest link and orders him to his room first. At first Howard tries to stay strong, but Bishop pushes through the thin defense-wall without much trouble. The boy breaks easily and in sobs he tells how Werber and his friends are constantly on his case.

They keep referring to him as being gay, and an entire string of less friendly names and he is not gay at all. He tried to ignore it at first, figuring they would stop, but it only got worse. He found his mail torn up, his clothes thrown on the ground so that they got dirty. The word 'faggot' painted on his locker… He _knew_ it was Werber and his friends.

But this afternoon it had come to climax, he had had enough and then things had escalated between him and Werber, Werber's friends had come to Werber's help and just when Howard thought they would kill him, there had been Justin…

"And tonight they tried to beat me up again. They cornered me, started the pushing and shoving, the name-calling. I got scared. They started hitting me and I fell and someone kicked me. There were four of them and I was all alone." He swallows his sob away. "And then Justin showed up and he… he… protected me…." Charles Howard is clearly upset.

Bishop sends him back to the infirmary with a few friendly words. Werber and his friends are less honest. Werber in particular whines about how cruel Justin was, that it wasn't serious, that they were just playing around… but Bishop frankly doesn't believe thim or his friends. He sighs. He likes Werber less and less.

He finds Justin in the infirmary, checking supplies.

"Justin. We need to talk."

"Yes Sir?"

"Don't act stupid with me. You are good paramedic, I need you out there!"

"Yes Sir."

"Alright. Howard thinks you're a hero, Werber and friends think you are the aggressor. So, what are you?"

"I'm a brother, Sir." Justin says with a sigh.

"A…?"

"Brother." From his pocket he takes his wallet and shows Bishop a picture of himself with a young man, who has his arm around Justin.

"That is my brother Kevin." Justin says and he sounds almost emotional. "A great guy. No matter how bad I screw up, he's always there. He is a lawyer and I'm very proud of him. He's one of the most important persons in my life…

5 years ago, I had the scare of my life when my family and I were called to the hospital because Kevin had been beaten up so badly that he nearly died. There were a lot of people around when it happened. No one did anything. Nobody stood up for him. They just let it happen. Because my brother is gay.

Some morons nearly killed my brother and no one DID anything…. To people like Werber it's all a joke. To people like Kevin it's not. And I vowed I would never let it happen. Howard is not gay, but Werber thinks he is and that seems to give him the _right_ to be violent to Howard.

Well, I have news for him. He does _NOT_ have that right. Punish me any way you want, Sir, but the next time Werber lays a hand on Howard again I will punch his lights out… _again_. I _will_ stand up against idiots like that. I _owe_ that to my brother." Justin's fist is clenched and he looks at Bishop, eyes filled with fire.

*****

Ultimately, Bishop decided to have Werber transferred to a place where he would create less trouble. And he was glad to see Howard grow up in his team. A good strong soldier who married his girlfriend a year later. And Justin? Justin got a severe warning, but Bishop stuck to his own believes, he'd rather have one Walker then 10 Werbers.

THE END


End file.
